OTF Premium What's working and what needs to change when Texas runs the football

[Jeff Howe]

AUSTIN, Texas — As is the case with virtually every aspect of the Texas offense, Steve Sarkisian’s running game is at a crossroads.

In last Saturday’s Red River Shootout loss to Oklahoma, the Longhorns final numbers were pedestrian: 122 yards on 13 carries, with the longest coming on a 16-yard run by Derrek Cooper in the second quarter.

When considering Texas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) faced a stout Sooner front, however, the running game was more effective than the raw numbers indicate.

Texas finished the game with 132 yards on 30 non-sack rushing attempts, matching Georgia’s non-sack rushing yards (132 yards on 25 carries) in its 41-13 dismantling of Oklahoma on Sept. 26. Only the Bulldogs averaged more sack-adjusted rushing yards per carry (5.3) against the Sooners than the Longhorns (4.4) this season, with Oklahoma’s season-high in 10-plus-yard rushing attempts against a Power Four foe coming against Texas (four).

Immediately after the loss, Sarkisian described the running game as “a little hit and miss for us today.” The Longhorns have “been OK” running the football through five games, Sarkisian said, openly questioning whether his current schemes can generate the consistency he wants on the ground.

But after Sarkisian reviewed the rushing attack on film ahead of Monday's meetings and practice to start the week of preparations for Florida coming to town on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC), he felt Texas “ran it pretty good” against the Sooners.

“What you're hoping for is that you can find consistency and then, ultimately, pop one,” Sarkisian said. “I think historically, when we've ran the ball well against OU, we've popped a couple runs that have created a 40, 50, 60-yarder. All of a sudden, your number goes from 125 yards rushing to 175 or 200. We just didn't pop that big one Saturday, but I actually thought, from an efficiency standpoint, we were pretty good against a defense that thrives on negative plays in the run game.”

The Longhorns had success against Tennessee utilizing duo, insert and zone concepts. Jim Knowles’ defense created a lot of penetration up front, which blew up Texas’ counter and power schemes, but Sarkisian eventually got the running game untracked.

Against Oklahoma, the Longhorns found success through their zone running game. Ultimately, the result might've been different if Sarkisian had stuck with it, which could've kept the offense from spiraling in the second half (the Longhorns’ first five second-half possessions included three three-and-outs, a four-play drive that ended with a punt and a two-play drive that ended with an interception).

After analyzing 28 of Texas’ 30 non-sack rushing attempts against the Sooners (two Arch Manning scrambles were omitted), here’s what worked and (maybe more importantly) what didn’t:

— The Longhorns ran the ball well out of 11 personnel. Using Emmett Mosley V as the motion man (either as an escort blocker or to get the defense flowing away from the play) helped open things up. Texas ran the ball for 93 yards (5.2 yards per attempt) out of 11 personnel. Three of the Longhorns’ explosive runs (the aforementioned 16-yard run and an 11-yard run by Cooper and a 14-yard run by Hollywood Smothers) came with 11 personnel on the field.

— Texas didn’t get the bang for its buck running the ball out of 12 personnel. Two-tight end sets generated 25 rushing yards on eight attempts, none longer than five yards. Right now, Nick Townsend is the only tight end who can be considered a two-way threat as a blocker and a receiver. Any tight end combination that doesn't include Townsend makes the offense more predictable (even though Michael Masunas and Spencer Shannon were effective in their roles).

— Sarkisian’s counterpunch to defense wanting to take away the wide zone is one of two things: either the Longhorns are running more mid zone, which means the running back’s aiming point is the B gap between the guard and tackle, or Cooper’s feel for where the crease will develop and ability to hit it hard is just that good. The running back’s tighter aiming point forced Brent Venables to adjust. That's when Cooper creased a couple of off-tackle runs late in the first half. Regardless, Cooper needs more carries. Cooper’s violent twitch with the ball in his hands is something the running game hasn't had since CJ Baxter showed flashes of it late in the 2023 season. 

— Texas had four mid-zone runs for 21 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) on Saturday without split flow from the tight end. Three basic inside zone runs netted one yard and two outside zone runs (without split flow) went for 17 yards (including Cooper’s 16-yarder). Sarkisian still calls a lot of split-zone runs (the tight end blocks back across the formation to seal the backside), with 11 of those going for 46 yards. The Longhorns ran split zone out of 11 personnel with mixed results (gains of five, nine and seven yards and negative plays that lost three and five yards, respectively), but split-zone runs out of 12 personnel didn’t set the world on fire (five for 22 yards)

— Sarkisian called one counter run on Saturday and it was one of the offense's best plays of the game. It was on the fourth-quarter drive that ended with Gianni Spetic’s missed field goal. Still, Brandon Baker’s kickout block and Masunas' block to get a piece of Owen Heinecke, who shot a gap while hunting a negative play, got Smothers free for a 14-yard gain. It was a well-executed, tendency-breaking play the offense needed while trying to mount a game-winning drive.

— Sarkisian might want to look at running the ball more often out of the pistol. The Longhorns averaged 5.4 yards per attempt out of the pistol; it was 6.8 yards before Cooper was stuffed on an ill-fated crack-toss. The pistol might make the running game less predictable than the running back set to one side of the quarterback in the shotgun (especially since Manning rarely pulls the ball at the mesh point to run it, eliminating a threat for the defense).

— There’s a tendency to put the blame entirely on the offensive line when the running game isn’t clicking on all cylinders. Kyle Flood’s group had its issues, especially on a third-and-1 in the third quarter, when Cooper got stuffed after the Sooners caved in the right side of the line. Still, a few of the runs Sarkisian wanted to see pop might've popped if the wide receivers had collectively blocked better. There were numerous instances when a minimal gain could've turned into the 20-plus-yard run Sarkisian likely needed to stay dedicated to the running game if a block had been held a little longer or if the wideouts and won more battles against Oklahoma's defensive backs.

— Texas is 24-2 under Sarkisian when recording 40 or more official rushing attempts in a game, including wins this season over Ohio State and UTSA. When Sarkisian makes it a point to run the football, the Longhorns can do it effectively enough to stick with it. For an offense that currently has the highest rate of three-and-out drives in the SEC, a running game that can set up manageable third downs and move the chains (according to CFBStats.com, the Longhorns have the sixth-best rushing offense in the SEC on third-and-3 or less, with 86 yards, 14 first downs and three 10-plus-yard runs on 16 attempts) would be a godsend.

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[Jeff Howe]

I'll come back in a little bit and add some all-22 clips from the OU game to illustrate some of my points.

[thatdude2]

Thank you Jeff…Hopefully the people that can do better, do better. I’m kinda down, and I appreciate the work you guys do, and I respect the grind to keep the money flowing for you guys to take care of you and yours. The depressing part is that I don’t know if the analyzing work that y’all do can be put in place to help the team perform better. I just want somebody to help these guys play ball. 

[Steamboat Willie]

The 11 personnel numbers are what stand out to me. We had some success running with Mosley in motion and Cooper hitting the crease. Why does a run need to go for 20 to keep us interested? Five yards puts Arch in a much better situation on the next snap.

The blocking needs work, and Arch has to quit leaving throws out there when he does have time. But Sark also has to recognize what this group is doing well and stick with it long enough to build a drive.

[rgvhorn80]

If there’s not a significant improvement in the offense. What’s your prediction for the final W-L record? This could get ugly imo.

[kren]

42 minutes ago, rgvhorn80 said:

If there’s not a significant improvement in the offense. What’s your prediction for the final W-L record? This could get ugly imo.

Tough to say because the upcoming defenses are worse than what we’ve faced so far, but they could genuinely lose every single game remaining on their schedule except Arkansas if they keep playing this way

[FHS Mr B]

1 hour ago, Jeff Howe said:

AUSTIN, Texas — As is the case with virtually every aspect of the Texas offense, Steve Sarkisian’s running game is at a crossroads.

In last Saturday’s Red River Shootout loss to Oklahoma, the Longhorns final numbers were pedestrian: 122 yards on 13 carries, with the longest coming on a 16-yard run by Derrek Cooper in the second quarter.

When considering Texas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) faced a stout Sooner front, however, the running game was more effective than the raw numbers indicate.

Texas finished the game with 132 yards on 30 non-sack rushing attempts, matching Georgia’s non-sack rushing yards (132 yards on 25 carries) in its 41-13 dismantling of Oklahoma on Sept. 26. Only the Bulldogs averaged more sack-adjusted rushing yards per carry (5.3) against the Sooners than the Longhorns (4.4) this season, with Oklahoma’s season-high in 10-plus-yard rushing attempts against a Power Four foe coming against Texas (four).

Immediately after the loss, Sarkisian described the running game as “a little hit and miss for us today.” The Longhorns have “been OK” running the football through five games, Sarkisian said, openly questioning whether his current schemes can generate the consistency he wants on the ground.

But after Sarkisian reviewed the rushing attack on film ahead of Monday's meetings and practice to start the week of preparations for Florida coming to town on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC), he felt Texas “ran it pretty good” against the Sooners.

“What you're hoping for is that you can find consistency and then, ultimately, pop one,” Sarkisian said. “I think historically, when we've ran the ball well against OU, we've popped a couple runs that have created a 40, 50, 60-yarder. All of a sudden, your number goes from 125 yards rushing to 175 or 200. We just didn't pop that big one Saturday, but I actually thought, from an efficiency standpoint, we were pretty good against a defense that thrives on negative plays in the run game.”

The Longhorns had success against Tennessee utilizing duo, insert and zone concepts. Jim Knowles’ defense created a lot of penetration up front, which blew up Texas’ counter and power schemes, but Sarkisian eventually got the running game untracked.

Against Oklahoma, the Longhorns found success through their zone running game. Ultimately, the result might've been different if Sarkisian had stuck with it, which could've kept the offense from spiraling in the second half (the Longhorns’ first five second-half possessions included three three-and-outs, a four-play drive that ended with a punt and a two-play drive that ended with an interception).

After analyzing 28 of Texas’ 30 non-sack rushing attempts against the Sooners (two Arch Manning scrambles were omitted), here’s what worked and (maybe more importantly) what didn’t:

— The Longhorns ran the ball well out of 11 personnel. Using Emmett Mosley V as the motion man (either as an escort blocker or to get the defense flowing away from the play) helped open things up. Texas ran the ball for 93 yards (5.2 yards per attempt) out of 11 personnel. Three of the Longhorns’ explosive runs (the aforementioned 16-yard run and an 11-yard run by Cooper and a 14-yard run by Hollywood Smothers) came with 11 personnel on the field.

— Texas didn’t get the bang for its buck running the ball out of 12 personnel. Two-tight end sets generated 25 rushing yards on eight attempts, none longer than five yards. Right now, Nick Townsend is the only tight end who can be considered a two-way threat as a blocker and a receiver. Any tight end combination that doesn't include Townsend makes the offense more predictable (even though Michael Masunas and Spencer Shannon were effective in their roles).

— Sarkisian’s counterpunch to defense wanting to take away the wide zone is one of two things: either the Longhorns are running more mid zone, which means the running back’s aiming point is the B gap between the guard and tackle, or Cooper’s feel for where the crease will develop and ability to hit it hard is just that good. The running back’s tighter aiming point forced Brent Venables to adjust. That's when Cooper creased a couple of off-tackle runs late in the first half. Regardless, Cooper needs more carries. Cooper’s violent twitch with the ball in his hands is something the running game hasn't had since CJ Baxter showed flashes of it late in the 2023 season. 

— Texas had four mid-zone runs for 21 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) on Saturday without split flow from the tight end. Three basic inside zone runs netted one yard and two outside zone runs (without split flow) went for 17 yards (including Cooper’s 16-yarder). Sarkisian still calls a lot of split-zone runs (the tight end blocks back across the formation to seal the backside), with 11 of those going for 46 yards. The Longhorns ran split zone out of 11 personnel with mixed results (gains of five, nine and seven yards and negative plays that lost three and five yards, respectively), but split-zone runs out of 12 personnel didn’t set the world on fire (five for 22 yards)

— Sarkisian called one counter run on Saturday and it was one of the offense's best plays of the game. It was on the fourth-quarter drive that ended with Gianni Spetic’s missed field goal. Still, Brandon Baker’s kickout block and Masunas' block to get a piece of Owen Heinecke, who shot a gap while hunting a negative play, got Smothers free for a 14-yard gain. It was a well-executed, tendency-breaking play the offense needed while trying to mount a game-winning drive.

— Sarkisian might want to look at running the ball more often out of the pistol. The Longhorns averaged 5.4 yards per attempt out of the pistol; it was 6.8 yards before Cooper was stuffed on an ill-fated crack-toss. The pistol might make the running game less predictable than the running back set to one side of the quarterback in the shotgun (especially since Manning rarely pulls the ball at the mesh point to run it, eliminating a threat for the defense).

— There’s a tendency to put the blame entirely on the offensive line when the running game isn’t clicking on all cylinders. Kyle Flood’s group had its issues, especially on a third-and-1 in the third quarter, when Cooper got stuffed after the Sooners caved in the right side of the line. Still, a few of the runs Sarkisian wanted to see pop might've popped if the wide receivers had collectively blocked better. There were numerous instances when a minimal gain could've turned into the 20-plus-yard run Sarkisian likely needed to stay dedicated to the running game if a block had been held a little longer or if the wideouts and won more battles against Oklahoma's defensive backs.

— Texas is 24-2 under Sarkisian when recording 40 or more official rushing attempts in a game, including wins this season over Ohio State and UTSA. When Sarkisian makes it a point to run the football, the Longhorns can do it effectively enough to stick with it. For an offense that currently has the highest rate of three-and-out drives in the SEC, a running game that can set up manageable third downs and move the chains (according to CFBStats.com, the Longhorns have the sixth-best rushing offense in the SEC on third-and-3 or less, with 86 yards, 14 first downs and three 10-plus-yard runs on 16 attempts) would be a godsend.

f

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@JeffHowe  the most confusing part to me is that we hit the portal for TE's to help with our running game and we have missed on that so bad.  So is that a recruiting error or is our TE coach to blame for not prepping them for each opponent.

[Bwells]

Is it something relevant that CJ Baxter is now gaining 5.6 yards carry versus having 3.6 while he was at Texas. Is that scheme? Is it the line or a pretty heavy mixture of both?  I would assume more heavily waited towards the offensive line not being able to execute. It seems  like Texas paints a picture and ask the team to execute it and you look at Alabama or Georgia and they state here’s where we’re gonna run, show us you can stop it. That’s the difference in the physicality. I think we’re not seeing.. 

[Jeff Howe]

4 minutes ago, Bwells said:

Is it something relevant that CJ Baxter is now gaining 5.6 yards carry versus having 3.6 while he was at Texas. Is that scheme? Is it the line or a pretty heavy mixture of both?  I would assume more heavily waited towards the offensive line not being able to execute. It seems  like Texas paints a picture and ask the team to execute it and you look at Alabama or Georgia and they state here’s where we’re gonna run, show us you can stop it. That’s the difference in the physicality. I think we’re not seeing.. 

Kentucky makes it a point to run the football, has a good offensive line and Baxter is healthier now than he was last season.

[Jeff Howe]

 

 

This is a good run. It's a zone run from Cooper that I like for several reasons:

— If you look at the way OU is aligned to the strength of the formation (nose, 4i, 9-tech edge, Lewis playing over the tight end and Sullivan almost stacked behind the nose, they're positioned to take away the outside zone and make the run bounce back in toward the pursuit. That’s why the aiming point by the running back has to be tighter (think B gap) and he has to hit it hard.

— Robertson actually does a good job of walling off Stone. Goosby makes a hellacious reach block to get to the middle linebacker. Sikorski does a great job to run his guy past the hole, clearing space for Cooper to cut it up.

— It’s hat-on-hat football and Texas wins, setting up first-and-goal. These blocks aren’t dominating, but they’re effective because everyone did their job.

— Watch Cooper stick a foot in the ground and get vertical around the 5-second mark. He’s got some juice.

[Jeff Howe]

I mentioned this in the article, but here's one counter Sark called and it hit big.

Watch Michael Masunas at around the 7-second mark and again at 25 seconds (I'm showing both all-22 angles from this one because it's that good, IMO). He's the MVP on this play, IMO. If he doesn't get a piece of Lewis, that's a TFL for Oklahoma and the offense is in second-and-long. Instead, it's a 14-yard gain.

When Texas can get a hat on a hat, the offensive line moves people. It just doesn't happen often enough.

[Jeff Howe]

 

I started this play midway through the sideline view because I want you to watch Ryan Wingo and Hollywood Smothers.

— If Wingo gets a clean block on the safety, does Smothers see it and bounce the run off Wingo's outside shoulder? If he does, he only has to deal with the safety and/or the corner. Instead, Smothers hesitates and falls into a 3-yard gain that could've gone for more. 

— Even then, Smothers probably could've bounced this off Wingo's block and picked up a first down (he might've had a one-on-one with Powers if Coleman had kept Haynes from getting in a position for a potential open-field tackle. Or if he hit his path hard off Nick Townsend's inside shoulder, he might've beaten the safety to the spot and picked up the first down. Regardless, Texas punted two plays later.

— This is a bad run because it should've gone for more. This is what I'm talking about when I push back against the running game issues being all on the offensive line. This is on Smothers and/or Wingo, with a little blame assigned to Coleman, IMO.

[Jeff Howe]

 

 

This is the ill-fated crack-toss, which is a bad play I put on Sark for a few reasons:

1. I hate toss plays.

2. OU's safeties and linebackers fit the run so well that hitting one of these long-developing runs is a low-percentage play, IMO.

3. That's asking a lot of Robertson to get across Jackson's face and reach/scoop him. Sikorski had two red marks here, one for not getting enough of Jackson to help Robertson and for missing his block at the second level.

4. Asking Ryan Wingo to down-block on an EDGE so Goosby can pull isn't putting him in the best position to win, IMO. He and Mosley fight right here, but add this to the reasons why I'd take this off Sark's call sheet (especially when the offense is coming off the goal line) if I could.

5. I'm not sure if Mosley was supposed to work up to the safety or if that was Goosby guy, but two guys in white jerseys running into each other isn't how Sark drew this up.

[Jeff Howe]

 

I'm putting up this whole play for one reason: whether Arch needs to check out of this before the snap or Sark has to burn a timeout, you have to get out of a run against an 8-man box.

Trying to block eight with six isn't going to turn out well.

This was second-and-4 on the drive that ended with Spetic's missed field goal. Instead of checking to a pass or regrouping on the sideline, Smothers never had a chance on a play where he took a 5-yard loss and you're in third-and-10.

This type of stuff can't happen, especially inside the last four minutes of regulation.

[Jeff Howe]

 

For those of you who don't want me to take up for the offensive line and want me to point out what that group can do better, here you go.

@Bobby Burton mentioned this play on Coffee & Football this morning. I don't need to say anything other than to tell you to watch what happens to Brandon Baker and Melvin Siani. That can't happen in short yardage. The play was over before Cooper got the handoff.

[Here for the Wins]

Cooper needs to get upfield on the toss.  Sometimes those 3 yards matter.  Had a chance for a few more.

[Jeff Howe]

Cooper's 16-yard zone run out of 11 personnel. Texas has numbers on the left side. It felt like OU was trying to adjust to Texas running more mid or inside zone. The off-tackle run was there in a big way. No split flow needed — Townsend does a great job helping create the crease. This is great execution. (Does it go for more than 16 yards if Wingo gets a better piece of Guillory? This wasn't the best blocking game for the wideouts under Sark. Texas lost the physicality battle on the perimeter.)